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Sunday, August 9, 2020

I AM WRONG

In chapter 18 of his book about Job, Charles Swindoll uses a story to illustrate the rarity of a repentant spirit. In Job's world, repentance was scarce. In our world today, even more so. 

Chuck writes:

"It is difficult to cultivate humble hearts in such a contentious culture. How seldom we hear, "I am wrong, I am truly sorry. Will you please forgive me?" As opposed to that, how often we hear, "I will sue you! I'll take you to court!" The following is a classic example of how our world thinks. It is not only a true story; it was the first place winner of the Criminal Lawyers Award Contest.

"A Charlotte North Carolina lawyer purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars, then insured them against fire, among other things. Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of these great cigars and without yet having made even his first premium payment on the policy, the lawyer filed claim against the insurance company.

In his claim the lawyer stated that the cigars were lost "in a series of small fires." The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason: that the man had consumed the cigars in the normal fashion was obvious.

The lawyer sued and won!

In delivering the ruling the judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous. The judge stated, nevertheless, that the lawyer held a policy from the company in which it is warranted that the cigars were insurable and also guaranteed that it would insure them against fire, without defining what is considered to be acceptable fire, and was obligated to pay the claim.

Rather than endure a lengthy and costly appeal procedure process, the insurance company accepted the ruling and paid $15,000 to the lawyer for his loss of the rare cigars lost in the fires.

Now for the best part! A
fter the lawyer cashed his check, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of arson! With his own insurance claim and testimony from the previous case being used against him, the lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property and was sentenced to 24 months in jail and a $24,000 fine."


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